Pediatric Oncology vs. Pediatric Emergency Medicine

[TaleythaCE]

I am interested in both Pediatric Oncology and Pediatric Emergency Medicine....Can someone tell me good programs for both desired fields as well as what the requirements needed for the jobs?​

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[scotsdoc54]

Well since this is the high school forum and you're probably going into college, I assume by programs you mean medical schools.

All medical schools offer the same basic education and you're required to take the same national boards, etc. It doesn't matter whether you want to do oncology, neurosurgery, or pathology, all medical students have the same basic curriculum. You don't specialize in medical school in pediatric emergency medicine or peds onc.

You enter a specific field once you enter/complete residency and/or fellowship. At this point, you've earned an MD/DO, and you're now essentially a physician in training. You see patients, round on different floors, work in clinics, in the OR, whatever. After residency, you can pursue a fellowship for further specialization, I.E. oncology.

For pediatric oncology, the typical path is as follows:

4 years of medical school
3 years of pediatric residency
2-3 years of pediatric oncology fellowship

Only after all this are you a pediatric oncologist. So...when you ask what programs are good for either ped onc or ped EM, it's not really an appropriate question as one doesn't specialize in medical school. You do so later on in residency and fellowship.

 

[Future Doc1]

Well since this is the high school forum and you're probably going into college, I assume by programs you mean medical schools.

All medical schools offer the same basic education and you're required to take the same national boards, etc. It doesn't matter whether you want to do oncology, neurosurgery, or pathology, all medical students have the same basic curriculum. You don't specialize in medical school in pediatric emergency medicine or peds onc.

You enter a specific field once you enter/complete residency and/or fellowship. At this point, you've earned an MD/DO, and you're now essentially a physician in training. You see patients, round on different floors, work in clinics, in the OR, whatever. After residency, you can pursue a fellowship for further specialization, I.E. oncology.

For pediatric oncology, the typical path is as follows:

4 years of medical school
3 years of pediatric residency
2-3 years of pediatric oncology fellowship

Only after all this are you a pediatric oncologist. So...when you ask what programs are good for either ped onc or ped EM, it's not really an appropriate question as one doesn't specialize in medical school. You do so later on in residency and fellowship.

I agree

 

[oldbearprofessor]

For pediatric oncology, the typical path is as follows:

4 years of medical school
3 years of pediatric residency
2-3 years of pediatric oncology fellowship

Pediatric oncology training is provided as part of a pediatric hematology/oncology fellowship which is 3 years.

 

[scotsdoc54]

Thanks for the correction oldbear professor. So peds heme/onc is the same setup as IM --> Heme/Onc? For some reason I was thinking Peds Onc didn't include heme.

 

[BigRedBeta]

Actually it's IM where there are some separate Heme and Onc only fellowships. Most are both, but not all. In peds, they're all Heme/Onc. And all the Peds fellowships (Gastro, rheum, cards, neonate, etc, etc) are 3 years in length.

Peds ER is the one specialty that is a little bit different. You can also enter Peds ER after completing an ER residency. The fellowship is a minimum 2 year program but if you wish to become board certified through the American Board of Pediatrics you must complete 3 years of training. I believe, in keeping up with the standards of the other pediatric specialties, this is likely extra time devoted to research to extend the length of the fellowship.

 

[Rendar5]

You can also enter Peds EM after doinga pediatric residency. I just want to say though that Peds EM and Peds onc are very different fields from a practicing perspective and don't really overlap.

 

[docB]

You should also know that if you do peds then peds EM you won't be trained to work in an adult ED.

I'd also point out that Peds Onc and Peds EM are two very different fields. I'm going to generalize here so bear with me. Peds Onc is a field where you will be deeply knowledgeable about cancer and cancer treatments and you will have patients who you will follow throughout their entire treatment courses and follow ups. As a Peds EM doc you will be superficially knoweldgeable about the entire spectrum of pediatric medical and surgical complaints. You will see patients once (usually) in the ED and then never again.

Since the common pathway for both is med school and then a peds residency I'd shoot for that for now. The specialty choices will work themselves out along that road.